Ignition system for gas-engines.



W. E. DOW. IGNITION SYSTEM FOR GAS ENGINES. 'APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 13,1907.

Patented June 25, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. E. DGW,

IGNITION SYSTEM FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED 816F113, 1907.

Patented June 25, 1912.

2 8HEETS-SHBBT 2.

, drawing.

TAT

WILLARD E. DOW, OF BRAINTREE, MASSAGHUSETTS.

IGNITIDN SYSTEM FQR GAS-ENGINES.

Application Filed-September 13, 1987.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented June 25, 19 12.

Serial No. 392,792

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that l, il innnmlil. how, acitizen of the cuitcd States, and resident of BraEntree in the county ofNorfolk and State of himsachusi 'ts have invented an lmprovemcntinignition Systems for Gasllngines oii which the following description, intonne ion with the accompanying drawingmi specification, like letters onthe oreseiitiug like parts.

. iv inteniou is a special ignition system for permitti the operationof'a gut; eu-

e in connection with a battery and spark connectitm with a magneto atwill with gtopping the engine. In other words, by my invention theoperator can start the engine by actuating the spark plug plugs at thestart in connection with the iiitlmftion coil and battery circuit andthen, after the. wine is started he can, by a simcoil or r ple rotationot the same starting 'switch, out

out the coil and its battery circuit and cut in a magneto circuitCtintilitilng the running of the ct zinc thereafter in connection withthe magneto. This greatly sinualiticsv the usual EllvtlilliilJ-sll'l,saves battery consumptlOlL, and 1rnder:-' aerial slcill less necessary.N i ion is specially intended for us with automobiles. it is notconfined theret a bowiein in which I have illusa-tcrrcd embodiment ofthe in- 4 it shows the same in top 2 in lon itudiiml section; Fig. viewor t 1;, operating handle and 11 hated a Ircntioin plan and 3 an endsnitch plate which is t as only part visible externally of the view oith l machine; Fig. 4.- is an end end. oi the switch opposite 5 is a crivectioual View g. 2; l ief. 6 is a crossinc (B t Fig; t; Fig.illustrating the s is a d grammatictudinal alincment radially in thecylinder,

and extending through the same to coiipenate with two series of contacts6, T in the rotary member 2, arranged at right angles to each other,as.shown best in Fig. (3. In order that these contacts 6, 7 shall alwaysmake close, perfect contact- With the stationary posts, I have providedthem with carbon-plugs 8 held outwardly by a spring or springs t) intubes 10 and 11. The carbon plugs are exceedingly durable, and the construction shown also has the merit of being simple andinexpensive tomake and put to gether. The posts are herein shown as provided with ausual groove 12 and also a thumb nut 13, so as to accommodate the switchto ditterentdtinds of" terminal clips. At its front end the rotarymember 2 is provided with a projecting axle lat licld inunov ably in therotary member by a pin 15, and provided at its outercnd with a handle16. ihe handle swingsover a faceplate 17 into the three positions 18,19, 20, being limited in its extreme throw by posts 21, 22, a springheld plunger 23 tending to hold the handle in wiichevcr of the threepositions it may occupy. At its opposite end the switch has tlirecstationary posts 2%, 25, 26, correspond ing to the three positions ofthe handle, said posts being mounted in an insulating block or cap 12?secured in position by any suitable means, as by the post 25 and a screw:28 which screw cndwise into the barrel or cylinder 1. On the adj aceutend of the rotary member 2 is fast a contact plate 2!) having a narrowend 30 and a wide sector-shaped end 31, and provided centrally with apostlike projection 32 which extends through and bears in constantengagement with a contact plate or strip 33 extending "from thestationary post 25. At its free end the pro jcct-ion 32 carries apointer 34, beneath which .is also preferably provided a nut 35 forpressingdown on the contact plate or strap 3?) for maintaining goodcontact, at all times.

The posts 24 and 26 are internally hollow and provided with springpressed beveled plunger-s 8G for i'naintaining perfect contact with thecontact plate 29, being beveled to enable them to ride up on the plateconveniently when the rotary member is turned.

in Fig. 7 I have shown diagrammatically the wiring for my apparatus, thecontact 3 connecting with the secondary 37 of an induction coil whoseprimary connects with a battery :59 at one end and an interiii on theengine, and the contact 26 connects to the wire. 48 of the primarywinding of the armature of the hightension magneto- Thus, by rotatingthe handle 16 to the right into the position shown in the draw ings, thesparkplugs will be operated in connection withthe induction CO'll andhat- I circuit, at-which time the magnetoremains inoperative, so that nodamage can be done because of its necessary continuous rotation. Afterthe engine has been started properly through the energizing of the sparkplugs 43 by the induct-ion coils, the operator turns the handle to' theextreme left, to position. 20, Fig. 3, thereby cutting out the batteryand simultaneously connecting the contacts 4; and 5, the result beingthat the charge continues to be properly exploded by the energizing ofthe spark plugs from the'inagneto. At the same time the circuit to thecoil. is opened, rendering the coil inoperative by the breaking of thecircuit between contacts 3 and at. In other words,-.l cut in the coiland cut out the mag ncto by one movement of the switch, and by a reversemovement of the switch Icutin the magneto and cut out the coil. Wientheswitch is moved to the middle point 19, Fig. 3, both the magneto andcoil are cut out, as the contact end 30 is thrown out of contact withthe contact 24 but the sector end 31 continues the ground circuit 48,26, 31, 25, 4'? of the magneto, so that the latter is renderedinoperative.

It will be understood that I have omitted various usual details as tothe timing of the circuit, etc, as my invention does not reside in theparticular arrangement of engine or circuit closer or magneto or coil,but'in the arrangement of means for cutting in to the spark plug circuitthe coil and cutting out the magneto, and vice versa, the specific'meansor switch'w'hereby this accomplished being also new and also hereinclaimed.

It will be understood that l have not attempted in the diagram, Fig. 7,to show all the winding for a multi-cylinder engine. i or the latter thecurrent from the magneto will usually be distributed to {he dii'i'erentposts 5. by a suitable distributor, and. the same may take place inconnection with the induction coil althou 'h ireferabl a se a- 7 ratecoil is used for each spark plug. 381* my construction of switch, itwill readily be seen that any number of spark plugs may readily beaccommodated, inasmuch as the switch may be made as long or short asdesired, with as many contacts in each series as may be necessary. Also,it is equally satisfactory when operated with a single coil and a singlemagneto, as illustrated in Fig. 8, in which a wire 4:9 is shown leadingto a distributer' 50 for operating E llCCQSSlVQlY any number ofsparkcontacts 51 from either the magneto 45' or. the induction apparatus -aninduction coil, a magneto, aspark plug,

and a battery, operating in one position to close connection betweensaid coil contact 99 and spark plug contact, and between said batterycontact and said ground cont-act, and in another position to break bothof the aforesaid connections and make connection between said spark plugcontact and a, magneto contact.

2. The herein described ignition system comprising a spark plug contact,amagneto circuit, two magneto contacts for said magneto circuit, aninduction coil, two induction coil contacts for the secondary andprimary circuits thereof, aground contact, and means including circuitconnections and said induction coil, a magneto, and a spar: plugcooperating with the aforesaid contacts, when in one position, to closeconnection between coil contact=and the spark plug contact, and, wheninanother position, to close connection between said spark plug contactand the magneto circuit,.said means, in passing from its first mentionedposition to the other position, cutting otl all circuit connection fromthe spark plug contact.

3. The herein described ignition system, comprising a spark plugcontact, a magneto circuit, two magneto contacts for said magnctocircuit, an induction coil, two induction coil contacts for thesecondary and primary circui thereof, a ground contach and meansincludin circuit connections and said in i duction coil, a magneto, anda sparlr plug coope 'ating with the aforesaid contacts, when in oneposition, to close connection betwe n a coil. contact and the spark plugcont and, when in another position, to clo connection between said sparkplug co the magneto circuit, me. from its i st mentioned pc i posfion,breaking the first circuit and closing connec c en said ground contactand the magneto circuit until after said breaking of said firstmentioned closed circuit.

4. The herein described ignition system, comprising a spark plugcontact, a magneto circuit, two magneto contacts for said magnetocircuit, aground contact to operate in connection with one of saidmagneto cont acts, an induction coil, two induction coil contacts forthe secondary and primary circuits of an induction coil, and meansincluding circuit connections and said induction coil, a magneto, and aspark plug cooperating with the aforesaid contacts, when in oneposition, to cut a coil contact into eflicicnt operative relation withthe spark plug contact, and 'to close connection between said groundcontactand one magneto contact, and, 1n moving from sald position to,an-

other position, to sever the-aforesaidrelation between thesparkplugcontact and said coil contact, break said connection between theground contact and adjacent magneto contact and make connection betweenthe other magneto contact and the spark plug contact.

The herein described ignition system, comprising a spark plug contact, amagneto having two circuits; two magneto contacts for the two circuitsof said magneto, an induction coil, two induction coil contacts for thesecondary andprimary circuits thereof,

a ground contact, and means including cir cuit connections and saidinduction coil, said magneto, and a spark plug cooperating with theaforesaid contacts for cutting the coil contacts into efiicient closedcircuit position with relation to the spark plug contact andsimultaneously putting the magneto contacts in inoperative relationthereto, and vice versa.

6. The herein described ignition system, comprisinga spark plug contact,a magneto having two circuits, two magneto contacts for the two circuitsof said magneto, an induction coil, two induction coil. contacts for thesecondary and primary circuits thereof, a ground contact, all of saidcontacts being stationary, and a movable member provided withcooperating movable contacts arranged to cut the coil contacts intoctlicient circuit relation to opcratethe spark plug and to render, atthe same time, the magneto inoperative, and when moved to anotherposition, to render the coil inoperative with relation to the spark plugand to render the magneto contacts and circuits eflicient with relationto the spark plug combined with said spark plug, magneto and inductioncoil and their circuits.

7. In an ignition apparatus for a multicylinder engine, a spark plug foreach cylinder, a battery, a magneto having a secondary coil, a commonswitch, induction coil mechanismhavin g secondary connections with andoperable by said common switch and havin a primary sparking circuit,including sai battery and said common switch, wires from said common"switch having electrical connection with the magneto secondary,electrical connection from said common switch to the several sparkplugs, and a primary magneto circuitincluding said common switch. I

8. In an ignition apparatus for a multicylinder engine, a single sparkplug for each cylinder, a battery, a magneto and its secondary winding,induction coil mechanism, a common switch having provlsion tortransmitting current from the secondary portion of said induction coilmechanism for the several sparking plugs and provision for transmittingcurrent from the magneto secondary winding to the several s ark plugs, aprimary circuit for said'inc uction coil mechanism including saidbattery and said common switch,'and a primary magneto circuit includingsaid common switch.

9. In an ignition apparatus for amulticylinder engine, a single sparkplug for each cylinder, a battery, a magneto, a common switch having amultiplicity of fixed contacts and a multiplicity of movable contacts,spark coil mechanism, and means for delivering induced current therefromto fixed contacts of said switch, means to deliver current from themagneto secondary to other fixed contacts of said common'switch.

connections from still other fixed contacts of i said common switch tothe several spark plugs, a primary sparking circuit including saidbattery and said common switch, and a primary magneto circuit includingsaid common switch, the fixed and movable contacts of said common switchbeing so related that, in one position, they close the secondary magnetocircuits to said spark plugs and break the primary magneto circuit andthe primary and secondary spark coil circuits, "and in another positionclose the primary and secondary spark coil circuits and the primarymagneto circuit and break the secondary magneto circuits.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of

